Plast - National Scout Organization of Ukraine

Plast is a Ukrainian scouting organization. Plast’s goal is to promote an all encompassing, patriotic and self-educating program for Ukrainian youth based on Christian principles. Being a non-political and non-confessional organization, Plast educates youth as conscious, responsible and valuable citizens on the local, national and world community levels. We strive to educate the leaders of society.

Plast was established in 1911 shortly after the scout movement was founded by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907. Our first members took their first Plast Oath in Lviv, Ukraine in 1912. Among the founders of Plast were Dr. Oleksander Tysovskyy, Petro Franko (son of Ivan Franko – the famous Ukrainian poet, writer, political writer and public activist), and Ivan Chmola. The word “Plast” comes from the Ukrainian word “plastun” which was the name for Ukrainian Cossack scouts.

To reach its
educational goals, Plast uses own unique education method. Its basic
principles include free-will membership, education and learning through
game and work, gradual system of studies and trials, self-governing in
a circle, encouragement of initiative and self-management, perception
of the nature and living in the nature, support of special interests
and talents of children and youth.

Unlike most scouting
organizations in the world where membership is limited by the age of 25
years, membership in Plast is lifelong. Conventionally membership falls
into four Age groups: Cub Scouts (age 6-12), Rover Scouts (12-18),
Older Plast members (18-35) and Senior Plast members (those turned 35).
All educational and administrative work in Plast is performed by Older
and Senior Plast members solely on a volunteer basis.

Plast in
Ukraine unites about 10.000 members of different ages and by that is
the biggest scouting organization in Ukraine. Today about 130 local
councils are present in all 24 Ukraine’s administrative units and in
Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Plast actively cooperates with state
authorities and other public organizations implementing various social
and educational programs.

During the year Plast in Ukraine
conducts more than 100 educational outdoor camps with different
specializations: sporting, marine, aeronautical, arts, skiing,
alpinist, archaeological, horse-riding, ecological, etc. At these camps
Plast members master their knowledge and practical skills obtained
during the year at weekly studies. Among the biggest events carried out
by Plast on all-Ukrainian level are: intellectual-art competition
“Orlykiada”, creative festival “Den Plastuna”, sporting event
“Spartakiada”, distribution of Light of Peace from Bethlehem among
local communities, touristic contests “Stezhkamy herojiv” and “Osinniy
reyd”. On a local level, Plast councils conduct lots of social-cultural
and educational events.

Besides Ukraine, Plast also officially
exists in eight states, namely: Australia, Argentina, Canada, Germany,
Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Plast
organizations from all nine states are united into world-wide
Conference of Ukrainian Plast Organizations, headed by Plast Head
(known as "Nachalniy Plastun").